OSS suppressor

[sendit223]

I was commenting on another thread about the OSS suppressor system and thought I should start a fresh thread on it.

Short version: biggest innovation in silencer technology in a long time in my opinion if their claims are accurate.

Long version: I first saw the OSS system at last year's SHOT show. When I shot their system it was sort of underwhelming. In hindsight it may have been because I had shot so many things a the SHOT Range Day. Or it might have been because my main predator rifle uses an SRT Hurricane Ti, an adjustable gas block, the permatex treatment on the charging handle with a dremel tunnel gas port, and a JP captured silent spring. As such my main rig is very quiet and has very little recoil impulse.

Back to the OSS. The main innovation is how it forces the gasses toward the outside of the can along channels, allegedly increasing the length of travel the gasses have to go before exiting the silencer. This is supposed to have anti-blow back benefits. The design also allows you to buy a flash hider (non NFA) from them to change calibers, which is a fast and simple solution. When I talked to their main front man at SHOT I have to admit the system was a little confusing.

I just spent some time on their website and what the guy at SHOT was saying does make more sense now. If you take them at their word, there are several benefits of their design and per their website they optimized for: no blow back (less/no gas in face, less stress on bolt components, no increase in cyclic rate) and longer service life before degrading from original performance (accuracy). They specifically note they targeted a 26 dB reduction rather than a 31 dB, so it's not the quietest silencer you will find. That might explain why I was underwhelmed at Range Day. It was louder than my rig and had about the same gas and impulse qualities.

They are for sure trying to service the military in how they have designed their product. This comes through when you talk to them in person and when you read their website.

It really is the most unique thing to come along in silencer technology in a very long time. Not sure all the claims they make are accurate, but I have no reason to doubt them. In person they absolutely appeared to be the real deal.

They are easy to find online if you want to do your own research.

Sendit

 

[NMBohunter]

Thanks for starting this thread, sendit. Didn't want to digress too much from the last one.
As the guy who got the first commercial OSS can in NM, here's a few thoughts:
I'm sure all suppressors work fine on bolt action guns (due to no moving parts when the gun goes bang), and the suppressed .300 Blackouts sound like a sneeze, but if you run a semi-auto rig, OSS is well worth the time to consider. May not be hollywood-silent, but when you can hear the action cycle and the bullet whack at 35yds, thats pretty good.
The OSS claims are 100% accurate, and maybe even understated. I had a chance to shoot a suppressed 5.56 full auto at a range day, then shot the OSS, and it was night-and-day. I tasted gunpowder the rest of the day with only 30 rounds fired thru the full auto, and the OSS was just like shooting unsupressed in terms of gas-in-the-face. And when we say "gas", we mean it's like licking the inside of a firing chamber. Nasty! It's also why you see our special ops guys wearing eye protection I would guess.
In my limited experience around suppressors, I'd say sound-wise, there isn't a noticeable difference if you're shooting supersonic rounds outside.
The OSS does have the modular component, allowing you to reset the shot count for $40, but that won't matter to me, I can't afford to shoot that much anyway!
I really like the way the OSS doesn't increase cyclic action, meaning there isn't the normal wear and tear associated with running suppressed.
The over the barrel design only lengthed my gun around 4 inches. It does add weight like any accessory, but the weight is back toward the fore arm, so it is easy to adjust to.
That's my two cents worth, sorry for the commercial, but it is a neat addition. Hope the feedback helps.

 

[sendit223]

Yeah the gas face problem is something you deal with sooner or later if you shoot suppressed long enough. That problem opened my eyes to the fact I tend to shoot with my mouth open. I had no idea.

There are other solutions for that problem though. I referenced above the permatex/dremel trick and that's really pretty effective when combined with an adjustable gas block. I like the finger adjustable gas block that came with my Colt Competition CRP-18, as well as the gen 2 Syrac Ordnance adjustable GB.

Gas face does vary by silencer I've found. I'll stick with the positive: my SRT Hurricane Ti doesn't seem to have the back pressure as another name brand can I have. And again, when combined with the other items identified including the JP silent captured spring, it's about like a .22.

Regarding noise, 26dB compared to 31dB is a big difference. The question is whether that difference matters to the shooter. 26db reduction might be good enough.

Choosing a silencer, like buying a boat, is a decision based on trade offs. Silencer manufacturers optimize for something, and OSS is very transparent on their priorities: less blow back is #1, consistent accuracy/performance is #2, then sound reduction. Other silencers are optimized for weight, sound, cost, whatever.

Bottom line for me is the OSS is by far the most innovative design in a while.

Thanks for your input NMB.

Sendit